Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!

After eating, the two resumed their daily routines.

By now, after a morning spent acclimating to their new roles, Kawakaze and Orochimaru had fully adapted to their assumed identities. Their actions showed fewer flaws, allowing them to blend seamlessly with those around them.

Several quiet days passed. During this time, Kawakaze made ample preparations, patiently waiting for the right moment to act.

Blue B had also grown more familiar with the Sealing Team after spending time with them, and Kawakaze ensured he subtly stayed within his orbit. Whether intentionally or not, he maintained a safe but noticeable presence, occasionally asserting himself in front of Blue B to leave an impression.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru continued his work delivering documents to Raikage's office. Having done it once before, he approached the task with more confidence. As long as he avoided reckless actions, the risk of discovery remained low.

Occasionally, Orochimaru even exchanged a few words with the Raikage, sometimes laced with a subtle, wicked humor. Of course, Raikage barely noticed, his attention entirely consumed by efforts to capture Kawakaze and Orochimaru.

More than once, Orochimaru saw intelligence reports about Konoha spies on Raikage's desk. Among them was a spy Orochimaru knew.

His caution had paid off—if he had contacted the spies upon entering Kumogakure, the mission would have been a failure from the start.

...

That morning, Kawakaze was discussing Fūinjutsu with the members of the Sealing Team in the office.

After making some small progress the previous day, today's discussion was even livelier. The team seemed to sense the dawn of hope, and their enthusiasm was contagious—even Blue B wore a smile throughout. Since his seal had been stabilized, he had been sleeping better recently.

As lunchtime approached, Kawakaze noticed Blue B preparing to leave and quickly called out to him.

"Lord Blue B."

"What is it, Yota?" Blue B asked, turning to Kawakaze with a questioning look.

"We've finally made progress in Fūinjutsu research, and your help has been indispensable. I was hoping to invite you to dinner with us," Kawakaze said. Then, turning to the squad leader, he added, "Team Leader, what do you think? Lord Blue B has been working hard recently."

Kawakaze feared Blue B might refuse, so he involved the squad leader to ensure the invitation seemed more official.

"Ah, yes, yes," the squad leader stammered, caught off guard but quickly going along with it. "I was planning to invite you to dinner as well, but I didn't expect Yota to say it first."

Privately, he couldn't help grumbling. This Yota is so meddlesome. Do you know how hard it is to save private money?

"In that case, I won't be polite," Blue B said, agreeing without much hesitation. Ever since becoming a Jinchūriki, he had felt lonely, and spending time with the group brought him a rare sense of belonging.

"There's no need to be polite, we're all in this together." Seeing there was no way out, the squad leader resigned himself to his fate, silently mourning the loss of his private funds.

"Okay," everyone chimed in happily. Opportunities to enjoy a good meal at the squad leader's expense didn't come often.

"The Team Leader is so generous," Kawakaze added with a sly grin, complimenting the squad leader while knowing he had forced his hand.

"It's no problem. Let's go," the squad leader replied with a wave, trying to console himself as the group left with Blue B in tow.

After leaving the Raikage Building, Kawakaze deliberately slowed his pace, waiting for Orochimaru to join him.

As soon as Orochimaru exited, he spotted a group of people walking down the street, with Kawakaze at the back. A quick glance at the situation told him everything—things were about to start.

"Yota, you didn't wait for me for dinner?" Orochimaru called out, quickly catching up and drawing attention from everyone in the group.

"Haha, we're having a team dinner. You weren't notified," Kawakaze replied with a laugh, glancing intentionally at the squad leader, who looked back at Kawakaze, clearly uneasy.

Unable to say no, the monitor finally spoke. "Sousuke, if you don't mind, you can join us. The more, the merrier."

His words sounded polite, but in his heart, he prayed that Sousuke wouldn't be bold enough to accept.

"That would be embarrassing," Orochimaru said initially, pretending to decline. Before the squad leader could respond, he added, "But if you're inviting me, it would be rude not to join. I'll treat you all next time."

With that, Orochimaru had smoothly joined the group. Of course, his promise of a future meal likely meant a future encounter with their deaths rather than dinner.

"You're welcome," the squad leader said stiffly, swallowing any objections and quickly changing the subject. His expression betrayed his discomfort.

One is meddlesome, the other shameless—no wonder they get along so well.

The group continued walking in silence.

Before long, they arrived at the same barbecue restaurant as last time. It seemed to be a favorite spot for this crowd. Kawakaze and Orochimaru's previous choice had proven fortuitous—if they had gone to a different place, things might not have aligned so easily.

"Boss, two catties of tenderloin!"

"Boss, ten skewers of beef loin!"

"Boss, two whole beef testicles!"

...

Listening to everyone's orders, the squad leader's heart bled a little more with each dish.

Once the orders were placed and everyone had taken their seats, the boss promptly served appetizers and sake to these esteemed customers. This level of service was noticeably better than what Kawakaze and Orochimaru had experienced during their last visit.

"To celebrate our breakthrough in research, I propose we first toast Lord Blue B," the squad leader announced, taking on a proper leadership role despite his inward despair.

The group raised their glasses to Blue B, who, though rarely partaking in such gatherings, accepted the toast warmly. For him, this was a rare moment of joy—far removed from the monotony of drinking with the Third Hokage, which had grown tiresome over the years.

As the beef dishes arrived, the atmosphere grew increasingly lively. The boldness of Kumo Ninja at the drinking table far surpassed that of Konoha.

Both Kawakaze and Orochimaru drank their share but remained relatively restrained, fully aware of what was to come.

Glass after glass, the sake was quickly depleted. Orochimaru saw his opportunity and got up to leave.

"Sousuke, don't run away!" the squad leader called out, intending to keep him drinking.

"Why would I run away? There's no more sake, is there? The boss is busy, so I'll fetch some myself," Orochimaru replied smoothly, glancing at the grill where the boss was still hard at work.

"Quite perceptive! Why don't you join our Sealing Team?" someone joked, teasing Orochimaru.

"Haha, I'm very comfortable as a clerk," Orochimaru replied with a laugh before heading to where the sake was kept.

Kawakaze watched Orochimaru's slow departure, his eyes narrowing as he prepared to make his move.

"Boss, I'll get some sake," Orochimaru said, addressing the busy owner while grabbing a tray of sake.

"Okay, you get it," the boss replied, barely glancing back as he focused on grilling. He was familiar with his regular customers and didn't mind the help.

Meanwhile, a small snake discreetly slipped from Orochimaru's body, adding a dose of "ingredients" to one of the sake flasks before quickly retreating.

"Here's the sake," Orochimaru announced, a faint smirk playing at the corner of his lips as he returned to the table.

He distributed the sake to everyone, ensuring the specially treated flask ended up with Blue B.

"Thank you, Sōsuke," Blue B said politely.

Orochimaru exchanged a friendly smile with him before taking his seat and finishing his own drink.

"Continue, continue," the squad leader encouraged, raising his cup to clink glasses with Blue B.

Blue B poured himself a cup from the flask, downing it in one gulp.

Kawakaze and Orochimaru silently counted in their heads.

Ten, nine, eight... one.

Bang!

Blue B suddenly collapsed heavily onto the table, still clutching the sake cup in his hand.

"He's already drunk?" the squad leader said in disbelief. The amount of sake consumed was hardly significant, and Blue B was rumored to be a formidable drinker.

No one immediately suspected foul play; the situation simply seemed puzzling.

"Let me check on him," Orochimaru said calmly. "He must've had more than we thought. Lord Raikage is going to be furious with us."

Given Orochimaru's role as Sousuke, who occasionally interacted with Raikage, his statement didn't seem unusual.

Standing up, Orochimaru made his way to Blue B's side. His right hand moved discreetly behind his back, forming a claw-like shape as Chakra flickered at his fingertips.

"Lord Blue B," Orochimaru called out, feigning concern as he supported Blue B from behind.

"Why can't I wake him up?" he asked, further selling the act as the others gathered around in confusion.

"How could so little sake do this?" one of the group muttered, baffled.

Before anyone could react further, Orochimaru's right hand shot forward, pressing firmly against Blue B's chest.

"Release," he whispered, releasing the Chakra at his fingertips.

In an instant, a terrifying aura began emanating from Blue B's body.

"Who are you?!" The Kumo Ninja finally reacted. The squad leader shouted angrily and charged at Orochimaru.

"Go!" Kawakaze ordered, no longer hiding his intentions. He swiftly kicked the squad leader away, sending him crashing to the ground.

Orochimaru also incapacitated the nearby Kumo Ninja with ease.

With their objective achieved, Kawakaze and Orochimaru didn't linger. The moment the resistance was subdued, they vanished from everyone's sight. There was no time to waste—they had no interest in facing the Raikage, who would undoubtedly arrive soon. Other tasks still needed their attention.

Meanwhile, Blue B's body began radiating a crimson red Chakra, trembling uncontrollably as pain overtook him.

"Set off a flare for help," the squad leader gasped, forcing the words out with great effort. His injuries from Kawakaze's earlier kick rendered him unable to get up, let alone reseal Blue B. Even speaking drained him completely.

One of the Kumo Ninja quickly pulled a signal flare from their gear pouch and ran outside, firing it into the sky.

The remaining Kumo Ninja immediately began evacuating civilians from the area. It was clear that Blue B's rampage was imminent.

The squad leader, supported by another Kumo Ninja, glanced back at Blue B before being taken away. His heart was heavy with regret.

How could I have failed to see through those two?

Allowing the seal on the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki to break right under his nose was a humiliation greater than death. Worse, he dreaded facing the wrath of Lord Raikage, a thought that made him wish he could end it all right there.

As the Eight-Tails broke free from its seal, Blue B's eyes closed, his body trembling. Slowly, he stood up, his mouth opening to let out a guttural roar.

The crimson Chakra surrounding him erupted violently, forming massive tentacles that smashed the barbecue restaurant to rubble in an instant.

Even more Chakra surged forth, enveloping Blue B in a dense crimson mass. His human form disappeared entirely within the swirling energy.

"Ooooooooooooooo!"

A giant ox with two horns and an octopus-like tail emerged, the Eight-Tails fully unleashed.

Blue B's consciousness had completely succumbed to the effects of Orochimaru's potion, leaving him powerless as the Eight-Tails took control.